Ephie Fitzgerald has called for a root and branch review of Waterford football.
The Déise seniors haven't won a competitive game since May 2021 while the minors and Under 20s didn't pick up a victory last year either. The Cork man is in charge of the seniors and Under 20s this season and feels that Waterford clubs need to show more interest in the inter county game.
"I went into this with my eyes wide open, I knew the state Waterford football was in. Waterford is a sports mad county and there is room for football in Waterford, no matter what anybody thinks. I do think some of the clubs have to step up and give football a fair shot. It's gaelic games at the end of the day. It's a problem and there's no point saying otherwise. I do think that football definitely needs a root and branch review. I would be very much willing to give a hand with that going forward. Coaching coaches and that kind of stuff, I'd have no issue with that. But there has to be a willingness there for it to happen from the clubs, that's the most important thing."
Fitzgerald has lost half of his panel from last year's championship. "We've had a big turnover. The perception in Waterford is that everybody wants to be a hurler. If people think they have the opportunity of maybe getting on a hurling panel, they're going to focus on that. That has been a big problem. Davy Fitzgerald has 34 or 35 guys, there's another fair share of them who are dreaming of playing hurling with Waterford as well. That's a huge issue for the county going forward. I do think that there has to be a root and branch look at football in Waterford. If progress is going to be made, it's certainly not going to be made at senior level automatically, you're going to have to look further down the line at coaching at thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. It's getting good coaches in and making sure that the guys that are there are interested in football, rather than playing football because they're not making it as hurlers. That seems to be an ongoing issue."
He is full of praise for the players currently part of the set-up. "These lads are giving everything. I can't ask for one more ounce of sweat out of any of them. From the point of view of our county board, they've been absolutely magnificent with us. Anything we've asked for, they've tried to provide for us. Sean Michael O'Regan and Pat Flynn have been excellent. We're doing our level best to try and bring a little bit of success but it's going to be very difficult. Likewise with the Under 20s, it's going to be very difficult unless you have a base to work from. The base would have to start at twelve, thirteen, fourteen and upwards. That's something that's not going to be solved here but it's something that needs to be looked at by all the clubs in the county over the off season."
Fitzgerald and his management team got a mixed reception from clubs when they put together a panel over the winter. "We approached nearly all of the clubs at the start of the year, just trying to unearth new talent and that. Sometimes the reception was good, sometimes it wasn't so good. It is what it is. We've got the best players available to us that were willing to take part and give the commitment to Waterford and for that, they have to be commended. We try to give them the best coaching we can give them."
Listen to the full interview with Ephie Fitzgerald on Lár Na Páirce from 6.10 this evening.
